Baseball Mogul 2008 (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Brett Todd
• Reviewed on: 04/06/2007
• Released on: 03/20/2007
• Originally published on GameSpot: Baseball Mogul 2008 (PC) Review

Baseball Mogul has come a long way in the nine years since its opening day. The game started in 1998 as a straightforward economic simulation of what it would be like to run a big-league ballclub, with a focus on winning the World Series and setting the perfect price for stadium suds. It isn't quite like that anymore. Competition from more involved sims, such as Out of the Park Baseball, has tilted the diamond, forcing designer Clay Dreslough to move from simplicity to stats. Thus, Baseball Mogul 2008 is a snapshot of evolution in progress, a sports management sim in transition that gives baseball gearheads lots of numbers to crunch while still maintaining the fantastic pick-up-and-play playability, which made this franchise such a hit in the first place.

If you haven't played a Baseball Mogul game in a while, chances are you'll be amazed at how much has been added to the series in recent years. Where fans once rightly complained that the game didn't even track such core baseball numbers as lefty-righty splits, the game now lets you look over everything. Eighty player stat categories are now available for your perusal, so you can check out everything, including obvious biggies, such as home runs and ERA; more intricate stuff, such as OPS and GIDP; and flat-out esoterica, such as isolated power and RTO percentage. Stats for your entire baseball universe can also be examined in the new online encyclopedia, which tracks team and player stats, as well as financial records from the minors to the majors. All of these numbers allow you to pick apart your rosters and spend hours tinkering with batting lineups and pitching rotations. Scouting reports have also been beefed up, giving you the ability to give youngsters a once-over, as well as check out such stats as DICE and ground-ball percentage.

Even though Baseball Mogul 2008 has become something of a stat-heavy showcase, the game retains its simple charm. You don't have to embrace your inner Bill James to enjoy running a ballclub. Success can be had by sticking to the same old principles that have governed the series since its beginning. So if you want to stick to the basics, you can field a winning team and make a few bucks by just signing players. You can also order up the odd trade and set a sensible going rate for tickets, beer, hot dogs, or ice cream.

Continue reading

Compare prices for Baseball Mogul 2008

This product is currently not in stock at any of our online merchants.

Email me when this product is available